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So I went hunting at a park near where I live today... I found a nice array of mushrooms(none active) and had a good time.. I have a few questions I thought of during the hunt

1: Do random mushrooms fruiting go along with active ones fruiting? I mean, when the ones in the park are fruiting is that the same time any cubes will be fruiting, i figure it would be. I just wanted to know this cause the park is close by, and I can check it out first to see if mushrooms are out, and if so, then go check some fields out(which i have to drive a ways to get too)..

2: The eddible chantrell(sp) mushroom: I think i found a ton of these and made a post a while ago about them, lemme give a discription again:

Orange color cap and stem and gillswhite flesh under the orangegills extend down onto the stem a bitthey form sort of a cone or trumpet shape(the mature ones)growing from forest ruble(also, i've heard they have a apricot smell, these just smelled kinda mushroomy/earthy)

3: How noticable is the apricot smell in chantrells?

I just want to make sure they are not the look alike jack o laterns(poisonous) sorry i have no pictures : (

I've always found the "apricot" odor of chanterelles to be pretty strong in most specimens. Having said that, I've also found some that had little odor.

There are two main things you should look for to differentiate chanterelles from Jack O'Lanterns. First, chanterelle gills are blunt and thick, and not usually like regular mushroom gills, as Jack O'Lanterns have. If you look at them closely, what I'm talking about should be obvious. Second, chanterelles grow on the ground, not on wood - Jack O'Lanterns grow on wood, but sometimes the wood can be buried underground so they seem to be growing from the ground.

Most chanterelles grow singly, and Jack O'Lanterns tend to grow in clusters. Unfortunately, exceptions on both sides occur, so that's not a reliable feature.

If you can verify the main two features I mention above then you're safe. If you're uncertain, try to find a local expert to help you. (Make sure they're really an expert and not just somebody who thinks they are).

The first time you try eating them, you should also eat just a small amount, to be sure. The symptoms of poisoning from Jack O'Lanterns typically start in about 4 hours, so if you don't have any symptoms overnight then you got it right. For obvious reasons, the less you eat, the less sick you might be if you're wrong, so keep the amount tiny for your first try.

"First, chanterelle gills are blunt and thick, and not usually like regular mushroom gills, as Jack O'Lanterns have."<<for some reason the links dident work

"Second, chanterelles grow on the ground, not on wood - Jack O'Lanterns grow on wood"<<these were all coming from the "ground" and they were EVERYWHERE, but I dunno, they could just be growing off fallen branches and stuff underneath the leaves, but that seems doubtfull...